News: Samsung's AR Emoji Gets Super with Addition of Pixar's 'The Incredibles 2'

Just in time for the release of Pixar's highly anticipated sequel, AR Emoji based on characters from The Incredibles 2 have arrived for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Originally announced at the launch of Samsung's latest flagship devices, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, Jack-Jack, and Frozone join the existing lineup of Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck on the AR avatar app.

Galaxy S9 owners can add the character pack by entering AR Emoji mode in their camera, tapping the plus sign icon, and selecting the Incredibles AR Emoji from the Galaxy Apps Store.

"Samsung Electronics and Disney recently teamed up to make messaging a little more incredible by bringing classic Disney characters to life as AR Emojis," said the electronics giant via a statement. "The companies' latest collaboration serves as an incredible example of AR Emoji's ability to make communicating with friends more personal and fun."

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Samsung's answer to Apple's Animoji on the iPhone X works in much the same way. The front-facing camera on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ mirrors the user's facial movements with animated characters. Users can also create animated doppelgangers (not unlike Snapchat's Bitmoji platform) that mimic their every expression.

While it would be easy to dismiss AR Emojis as yet another obvious attempt to copy Apple, Samsung has managed to differentiate the app with iconic characters from Disney's vast collection of popular characters. The effort is probably enough to sway some upgrading undecideds and the most hardcore Disney fanatics from the iPhone to the Galaxy line of smartphones.

Front-facing effects remain an easy gateway to AR for mainstream consumers and a favorite tactic of marketing departments. So if you're a fan of the characters, but not ready to switch to Samsung, you can keep your fingers crossed that Disney will offer additional AR experiences between now and the release of The Incredibles 2.

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